Device for use in punching from sheets of plastic material



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Y IosTABRooK. DEVICE' IQB. USB IN PUNGHING PRM SHEETS OI' PLASTIGMATERIAL.

No. 568.941. Patented Oct. 6,. 1896.

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Y A. C. ESTABROOK. DEVICE EOE USE 1N EUNGEINEY PROM SHEETS OEELAVSTIGMATEEIAE.

No. 568,941. Patented Oct. 6, 1896.

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A.- C. ESTABROOK.

DEVICE EOE USE IN PUNGEINS EEoM SHEETS 0E PLASTIC MATERIAL.

No. 568,941. l Patented 001;. 6, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT (DEEICE.

ALANSON C. ESTABROOK, OF NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

DEVICE FOR USE lN PUNCHING FROM SHEETS OF PLASTIC MATERIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,941, dated October6, 1896.

Application led December 18, 1895. Serial No. 572,505. (No model.)

To all whom, t 71ml/ concern..-

Be itknown that {,ALANsoN C. EsTABRooK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Northamptomin the county of Hampshire and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDevices for Use in PunchingT from Sheets of Plastic Materiahof which thefollowin gis a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

Figure 1 of the drawings shows in front elevation a punching-presshaving certain features of my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is aview showing the same in horizontal section on the dotted line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 8 is a view in vertical section of the parts which are moreimmediately concerned in performing the punching. Fig. 4 is a view inplan of the plate, which is described hereinafter. Fig. 5 is a view inplan of a sheet or strip of plastic material from which portions are tobe punched by the devices of Figs. 1, 2, and 3 with the aid of the plateshown in Fig. at. Fig. 6 is a view of a strip of plastic material, on anenlarged scale, showing the arrangement'of the holes that are punchedtherein. Figs. 7, S, and 9show modifications.

1, Figs. 1 and 2, is the framingof a punching-press.

2 is the slide, which is mounted to reciprocate in guides on the saidframing. It is operated as usual by a crank on the shaft 3, as indicatedin Fig. 1.

4 is the actuating-wheel that is mounted loosely on said shaft 3. Thesaid shaft 3 is operatively connected with theA actuatingwheel awhenever it is required to produce a reciprocating movement of the slide2. This connection of the shaft and actuating-wheel is effected inpractice by the aid of clutching devices of the character usuallyemployed in presses of the kind here shown. Such clutching devices arenot described or illustrated herein, inasmuch as they are of well-knowncharacter and are in common use.

At 5 is a rod serving for the actuation in customary manner of theclutching devices, and at 6 is a treadle with which the said rod isconnected.

At 7 is a punching-head, which is secured to the lower end of the slide2. It carries a gang of punches S, which are arranged in parallel rows.y

At 9 and 1() are plates which are connected together, spacing-pieces 11beingplaced be- 55 tween the ends thereof to produce a space or opening12 betweenthe said plates 9 and 10 for the admission of the sheet orstrip of material from which portions are to be punched. These plates 9and 1() are perforated, as at 6o 13, for the passage therethrough of thepunches 8. The upper plate 9 serves as a guide for the lower portions ofthe punches, while the ends of the said punches coact with the plate lOin punching the desired portions 6 5 from the sheet or strip ofmaterial, as will be obvious.

14, Fig. 1, is a pla-te on which the connected plates 9 and 10 rest inthe press, this platev being placed upon the bed-plate 20. 15 15 7o arescrew-stops having inturned upper ends to limit the upward movement ofthe plates 9 and 10 as the punches withdraw therefrom in the upwardmovement of the slide 2. l

The foregoing parts, as well as other neces- 7 5 sary features of apunching-press which may not 'have been described, are or may be asheretofore.

The features which have -been so far described have been presentedmerely in order 8o to render clear the connections and application ofthe features of my invention, 4which latter I now will proceed todescribe.

The punches S customarily are arranged in a. number of parallel rows.This arrange- 8 5 ment is indicated by the illustration in Fig.

2 of the corresponding arrangement of the holes 13 that are made in theplate 9. The punches are placed as closely together as possible in eachrow in the punching-head 9o and the rows are placed as close together inthe said head as possible. It is, however, impossible to apply thepunches to the punching-head Without leaving spaces of certain extentbetween the punches v in each row and between the successive rows. Thisis due to the fact that a gang of punches must have metal enough to givethem strength and rigidity enough to do the work, and this separates thepunches to a relatively consider- :roo able extent. It therefore followsthat after a sheet of plastic material has been introduced beneath thepunches and the latter have passed through the same the holes which areproduced in the said sheet or strip will be 'separated b v intervening`solid portions of material which have been left by the punches.I-leretofore the portion of the sheet; which remains after theperformance of the punching operation has been relatively largeinquantity. It has been regarded as scrap, and has been sold as such to bereworked with the addition of new material and formed into new sheets.The scrap sells for a very small fraction of the cost of theoriginalsheets. Hencethemanufacturer,who has to purchase the material insheet form, iinds that the expense of making the articles whichheproduces is verymuch increased by the great proportion of scrap whichhe makes and t-he relatively low value of the lat-ter.

My invention has for its aim to enable the manufacturer to utilize amuch great-er proportion of the origina-l sheet than heretofore, therebylessening the proportion which has to be sold as scrap, correspondinglyincreasing the number of articles which can be produced from a givenquantityof sheet material, and reducing the cost of production. lt willbe seen from inspection of Fig. 2 that between the parallel lines ofholes in the plate 9 there are spaces which respectively are slightlymore than equal in area to the respective holes themselves. The sheet orstrip of plastic material afterbeingpunched contains solid portionscorresponding with the spaces aforesaid on the plate 9. I provide asfollows for enabling the said sheet or strip to be acted upon a secondtime by the punches so as to utilize the said solid portions.

Fig. of the drawings shows a sheet 16 of plastic material as it appearsbefore it has been punched. Fig. et showsaplate 17, serving as a holderfor the said sheet 16, whereby to facilitate the placing of the saidsheet or strip properly in position beneath the punches and thesubsequent withdrawal of the said sheet or strip. The said plate 17 isformed with an opening 1S therethrough corresponding in outline andproportions with the sheet 16. The sheet or strip 16 is placed withinthis opening, and the plate 17 then is slipped into the opening or spacel2, so as to carry the sheet 16 with it into proper position beneath thepunches. In connection with the said plate I employ means whereby todetermine the position which it shall assume after having been slippedinto the space 12, and whereby after the punches have passed oncethrough the sheet or strip 1G, removing from the latter certain portionsof its substance, the plate, and with it the sheet or strip of plasticmaterial, may be `given a new position under the punches, therebypresenting the previouslyuntouched portions of the sheet or strip ofplastic material in position beneath the lower ends of the punches to beacted upon thereby in the second descent thereof. Various means ofdetermining the two positions of the plate 17 at and previous to the twopunching operations aforesaid may be adopt-ed. The means which I preferis as follows:

At 19 is a stop secured to the bed-plate 20 of the press and projectingup therefrom sufliciently to be struck by the rear edge of the plate 17when it has reached the proper position in the space 12. rlhisstopdetermines the rearward movement of the plate 17 The latter is made ofsuch width that when it is slipped into t-he space 12 its side edges areguided by the filling-pieces 11 1l at the opposite ends of the saidspace. the position of the plaie 17 and of the sheet or strip of plasticmaterial applied thereto may be definitely and accurately fixed at eachinsertion of the said plate. The plate 17 is notched, as at 21, in itsrear edge, the notch being of sufcient size to receive the stop 19 underthe conditions which presently will be specified, and the depth of thenotch being equal to the shift which is necessary to be made from frontto back in the press in order to present in proper position beneath thepunches the solid portions which remain in the sheet or strip 16 ofplastic material after the first punching operation. In addition, theopening 18 is displaced somewhat to one side of the middle of the plate17, as indicated in Fig. 4. rlhe notch 2l also is a little to one sideof midwith of the said plate. The stop 19 is the same distance to oneside of the middle of the series of punching devices, as indicatedclearly in Fig. 2.

If a sheetor strip 16 of plastic material be introduced into the opening1S of t-he plate 17, it being assumed that the said plate is held withthe side uppermost which is visible in Fig. 4, and the said plate 17 isthrust into the space 12, the plate will be arrested When it has reachedthe proper position for the performance of the first punching operationby contact of the rear edge thereof with the stop 19. After the puncheshave descended and been lifted again the plate 17 and sheet or strip 16are withdrawn. The sheet or strip 16 being temporarily removed from theopening 18 the plate 17 now is turned over so as to present the otherside thereof on top. The

IIO

sheet or strip 16 is reintroduced into the openy ing 1S and the plate 17and sheet or strip 16 are again slid into the space 12. This time, inconsequence of the reversal of the plate 17, as just mentioned, thesheet 16 will be shifted endwise relatively to the punches, owing toterdescend, the solid portions which remained after the first punchingoperation. The sheet or strip of plastic material is in effect. previousto the second punching operation, shifted in position beneath thepunches to a slight extent laterally of the press and also to a slightextent rearwardly. I have indicated the results in Fig. 6 of thedrawings, which is on a somewhatlarger scale than the remaining figures,and in which the full-line circles at 22 indicate the portions which areremoved by the first punching operation and the dotted-line circles at23 indicate the portions which are removed by the second punchingoperation.

lt will be obvious that care must be exercised to push the plate orholder 17 rearwardly in the space 12 to exactly the right position priorto each descent of the punches. To this end I combine with the saidplate 17 devices whereby to control the action of the machine andprevent the punches from being operated except after the plate 17 hasbeen carried into full contact with the stop 19, which determines itsposition. I have shown in the drawings a slide 24, secured upon thebed-plate 2O by screws 25 25, passing through a slot 26 in the saidslide and entering the bed-plate, the said slide being free to move inthe direction of its length upon the surface of the said bed-plate. Theouter end of the said slide is connected in suitable manner with theupper arm of a lever 27, which latter is pivoted at 28 upon the frame 1and joined at its lower end to a sliding block 29. A spring 30,connected with the said lever 27 and with a fixed portion, as 31, on theframing, serves to draw the slide 24 inwardly, so that its inner endextends across a part of the space 12 at the rear of the punchingdevices, and also to draw the block 29 into the position in which it isshown in full lines in Fig. 1. In this position of the block it acts toprevent the descent of the treadle, so that it is impossible to depressthe said treadle and cause the clutching devices to act so as tooccasion a downward movement of the punches. Before the treadle can bedepressed and the punches operated it is necessary to withdraw theblock, or at least the enlarged port-ion thereof which engages with thetreadle, out from beneath the treadle. To effect this withdrawal of theblock, I utilize the rear corners of the plate 17 the said corners beingbeveled off, as at 32 321, in order that when either of them contactswith .the inner end of the inner end ot' the slide 24 it will operate asa cam to force the said slide outwardly, thereby turning the lever 27 onits fulcrum and carrying the block 29 into the position which is shownin dotted lines in Fig. 1. The withdrawal of the block is not completeduntil after the plate 17 has been brought home into contact with thestop 19. Since in one of its positions the notch 21 in the plate 17 ispresented to the stop 19 and permits the said plate to go farther backzenter the holes 174 174.

than in the other position of the plate, the inclined corner portion321, which acts to move the slide 24 at this time, is inade'longer thanthe inclined corner portion 32, which acts in the other position of theplate 17.

It will be obvious that my invention can be utilized in connection withpunching-sheets of material of other character than those hereinabovespecified.

It will be apparent that my invention inits broader phase is notrestricted to the particular means which has been described of giving tothe blank which is to be punched a shift in a diagonal direction atsuccessive punching operations. lVith the same object in view, namely,that of enabling the material of the said blank to be more completelyutilized than heretofore@ may employ modified arrangements such as I nowshall describe with reference to Figs. 7, 8, and 9.

Fig. '7 shows a plate or holder, therein designated 171, that differsfrom the plate or holder 17, which already has been 'described herein,in this, that the opening 181 (which corresponds with the opening 18 ofFig. 4) is not displaced laterally in the said plate or holder 171, asin Fig. 4. For the purpose of effecting the lateral shift betweensuccessive punching operations of the plate o1' holder 171 and the stripor blank of plastic material that is to be punched I provide a strip orsocalled key 172, which, in practice, is inserted at one end of theplate or holder 171 prior to one punching operation and then is shiftedto the other end thereof prior to the next punching operation. The notch211 provides for the additional rearward movement of the plate orholder, such notch coperating with stop 19 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 shows a plate or holder 173, which has the opening 182symmetrically disposed, as in the case of the opening 181 of Fig. 7. Thenotch 21 of Fig. 4 and 211 of Fig. 7 is omitted. To secure the diagonalshift of the plate or holder, I form the plate or holder 17 3 with twopairs of holes 174 174 and 175 175 to cooperate with a pair oflocking-pins. The said pins, in one position of the plate or holder, Inthe other position ot' the plate or holder the pins enter the holes 175175.

Fig. 9 illustrates an arrangement in which cam-shaped stops 191 191 areemployed to engage with the rear edge of the sheet or blank 161 ofplastic material. These camshaped stops are capable of being turned fromthe position in which they appear in Fig. 9 into positions diametricallyopposite, as indicated by dotted lines. Thereby is secured the front andrear adjustment of the blank or strip 161. To adj ust the said blank orstrip laterally in t-he punching-press, I providean L-shaped piece 176,which is placed at one end of the blank or strip prior to one punchingopera` tion and then at the other end thereof prior to the secondpunching operation.

VWhat I claim is- IOC ro5 Y IIO 1. The combination with punching deviceshaving a gang of punches arranged in parallel rows, of gaging orpositioning devices to give to the blank which is to be punched a shiftin a diagonal direction at successive punching operations to therebyenable the material of said blank to be utilized more completely,substantially as described.

2. The combination with punching devices having a gang of punchesarranged in parallel rows, of a reversible plate or holder 17 made withan opening therein to receive a sheet or strip of material from whichportions are to be punched, said opening having lateral displacement asstated, a stop for limiting the extent to which the plate may beinserted, said plate having` also a notch 21 to one side of the middlethereof and adapted in one position of the plate or holder to receivethe said stop, substantially as described.

3. The combination with punching devices, and operating mechanismtherefor, including means whereby to render such devices active at thedesired times, and controlling1 devices operated by the insertion of theblank to be punched serving to prevent the punching devices from beingmade operative until the blank which is to be punched has been given thecorrect position between the punching devices, substantially asdescribed.

el. The combination with punching devices having a gang of punchesarranged in parallel rows, and operating mechanism therefor,

including` means whereby to render such devices active at the desiredtimes, of a reversible plate or holder having a laterally-displacedopening for the reception of the sheet or strip of material to bepunched, a laterally-displaced notch in its rear side, and camshapedportions, a stop to enter said notch in one position of the plate orholder, and controlling devices embracing a movable member which isoperated upon by the said cam shaped portions and serving to prevent thepunching devices from being made operative until after the said plate orholder has been given the correct position at each insertion of the samebetween the punching devices, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALANSON C. ESTABROOK.

lVitnesses: A

FRANK N. LOOK, JANET L. ELLIOT.

